What are phone-paid services?

Quizzes & competitions

Adverts for quizzes and competitions can be found everywhere; on Facebook, websites and print media. Phone-paid competitions will charge you for entry and may involve ongoing charges if you subscribe, you should ensure that you understand the pricing by reading the terms and conditions before entering. All subscription services require an interaction from the consumer in order to join, whether by sending a text, or by entering a PIN received on the mobile phone into the completion website.

Your vote is counted via your interaction which could involve a call to telephone number beginning with 09 or via a call or text to a short code from a mobile phone. Each interaction will result in a separate one-off charge.

Making a charity donation by text is a quick, simple method of making a one-off or ongoing contribution to a charity of your choice. These services will typically use five digit short codes prefixed 70xxx. You should ensure that you are happy with the amount you are donating before proceeding.

Digital content is anything that you can purchase that is not a solid item; music tracks, videos, wallpapers or games. Purchases can be made on a per use basis or via subscriptions that are charged periodically. Often games can be downloaded to your mobile device for ‘free’ but will also allow you to purchase additional content (such as coins, or extra lives) which can be charged to your telephone bill instead of a credit or debit card.

Directory Enquiry Services are typically provided by calling a six digit number which starts with 118xxx – these services can be expensive, therefore you should check the pricing on the promotion for the service before calling. They are not required to provide pricing on connection, however must warn you of the ongoing cost if you wish to connect directly to the telephone number you have requested. It is often better to make a note of the number you have requested and call it separately.

Phone-paid service numbers can be used for Gambling Services, most typically using text short codes or Payforit charging to your bill. Gambling services are subject to strict rules and limitations. Most gambling services will require you to set up an account and provide your personal details in order to use the service. Occasionally these charges will be presented as an 'in-app purchase', for example within an application for a Fruit/Slot machine. Remember that you are playing with real money.